Cushion-tired wheel.



N. GRATZ.

GUSHON TIRED WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Imm, 1912.

Patented Mar. I8, 1913.

DN 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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N. GRATZ.

CUSHION TIRED WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED Palm, 19m

1,056,167. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR NORMAN GRATZ, OF BOSE, IDAHO.

CUSHION-TIRED WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Application filed February 6, 1912. Serial No. 675,747.

To (1H 'LU/0m t may concern Be it known that- I, Nomrxx Gnivrz, acitizen of thc United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Adaand State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCushion-Tired llVheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wheels of the class in which provision is madefor absorbing shocks or vibrations and increasing the traction of thewheel by means of a tire which is constructed to yield radially as thewheel rotates. Wheels with pneumatic tires are now almost universallyused for this purpose, but such tires when punctured or Slightlyruptured are rendered inoperative and furthermore are very expensive.

The objectl of my invention is to provide wheels of this class withnovel means for absorbing shocks or vibrations and increasing thetraction which are comparatively inexpensive and which are not rend-eredinoperative by puncture or rupture of the tread portion of the tire.

According to my invention, I make the hub, spokes and felly of the wheelof the usual construction, and I attach to the felly a trough-shaped rim(which I call the inner rim) which serves as a guide for an outer rimmade in segmental sections which are separated from each other, theirends overlapping and being supported by radially movable plungers whichare normally pressed outward yieldingly but which are capable of movingradially inward to allow the outer rim sections to move inward to absorbwhatever shocks or vibrations may be encountered. In order to insure theeasy movement of the rim sections l intel-pose anti-friction rollersbetween the heads of the plungers and the overlapping ends of the rimsections which sections have inwardly extending iianges which areoverlapped by the flanges of the inner rim. The flanges of the outer rimsections are formed with radial slots having beveled walls and throughthese slots extend bars attached to the inner rim and carrying taperedrollers operating in the beveled slots. In order to exclude dirtwater,etc., and to provide a suitable tread, I employ a cover preferably madeof rubber and canvas or similar material which incloses the rim sectionsand is attached to the outer faces of the radial flanges of the innerrim. The plungers hcreinbefore referred to operate in cylinders whichpreferably contain springs and are also supplied with oil which rendersthe action of the springs more easy and prolongs their life. lu order tolubricate the roller bearings oil conduits are provided which connectsaid bearings with the oil-containing cylinders. T also provide meanswhereby the tension of the springs may be tested and regulated in orderto obtain uniform pressure throughout the tire.

Other features of my invention and the details of construction will behereinafter described, and the subject. matter deemed novel will be setforth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure l is a sectional view of a portionof a ve hicle wheel with my improvements applied. Fig. 9. shows asection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section,showing the roller bearing between one of the plungers and anoverlapping outer rim section. F ig. 3a is a detail view in section ofthe device employed for testing the pres sure of the springs. Fig. 8b isan end view thereof. Fig. et shows a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. lbut on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a perspective view with parts insection and with parts broken away, showing the relation of some of t-heparts of the tire. Fig. G is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 butshowing a modification. Fig. 7 is a view of one of the cross barsemployed, and the rollers, nuts and wearing disks used in. connectiontherewith.

The spokes A are attached as usual at their outer ends te a felly B, andto the periphery of the felly is secured in any suitable way (as byscrews Z7) a trough-shaped inner rim C, the radial side flanges c ofwhich serve to confine and guide the radial sides of the outer rimsections. The outer rim is composed of a series of segmental sections Dsurrounding the inner rim. These sections are separated from each other,and their end portions are beveled and rest upon the outer surfaces .ofthe heads e of the plungers E which are radially arranged and arepressed yieldingly outward either by springs or by air pressure. The rimsections D, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, are U- shape in cross section,the flanges ci which are straight and parallel with each other, extendinward while the outer part cl is curved longitudinally andtransversely. The opposite ends of the heads e of the plungers extendbeneath the flanges d as g nos clearly shown. he flanges (Z are formedwith radial slots j through which entend cross bars L, carrying rollersl?. These rollers are tapered from their outer ends inwardcorrespondingly with the bevel or taper oit' the slots f. llaeh bar Lhas a middle part Z, two parts Z of reduced di ameter on which theVrollers l? revolve and two end parts Z2 of still smaller diameter whichextend through the sides c of the inner rim and through the cover N, andrings l). tiuch cover N is employed to press the outer rim sections uponthe plungers, exclude dust, water, etc., and provide a suitable treadfor the wheel. T his cover is preferably made of rubber and canvas andis attached to the outer :faces of the side flanges c of the. inner riinby the rings l), through which the ends Z2 of the bars L extend. The,openings in the side flanges c of the inner rim are made of about thesame diameter as the larger ends of the rollers F and these openings arelled by wearing plates M perforated to re ceive the ends Zl of the barswhich are threaded and receive the nuts Z3. ln this way the cover N isfirmly held in place on the inner rim, and the outer rim sections areguided in their radial. movement on easily opera-ting roller bearings.By providing tapered rollers operatingl in beveled slots any tendencyfor the sides of the outer rim. sections to spread or press outwardly isprevented as the ronstrm'tion shown is such to cause these. parts totend to move inward. toward each other. rthe bars L also of course limitthe radial movement of the outer rim sections and prevent endwise or(':ircumferential movement thereof. By ein ploying tapered rollersoperating` in tapered slots as shown should the tire tend to twist ormove sidewise so as to tend to cause the side flanges (Z of the outerrim to become inclined and thus bind against the [langes of the innerrim. the tapered rollers` will prevent this by a wedging action. in thisway undue friction is avoided and free radial movement of the outer rimrelatively to the inner one is insured. 1t will also be observed thatwhen the outer rim creeps or moves slightly circumferentially relativelyto the inner rim a wedging action will take place which will hold theflanges (Z away 'from the flanges c and thus avoid friction.

in order to provide for the easy move ment of the beveled ends of the.outer rim sections on the heads e of the plunger-s, l. arrangeanti-friction rollers ll in the heads oil.2 the plungers. These rollersare seated in recesses in the heads c and bear against the beveledoverlapping end portions of the outer rim. sections. As shown in Fig. 3the rollers H are tapered properly to conform to the contour of theportions` of the rim sections which they engage.

s before stated the plungers E .are

pressed radially outward yieldingly. This may be accomplished in variouswat. s but l.

preferably employ spiral springs tor this purpose, although compressedair may he employed, in the manner indicated in lil ig. G. As shown inthe other .figures of the drawings, however, the inwardly extendingshank c of each plunger passes into a cylinder l set radially on theinner rim and extending through this rim and through the telly. beingclosed at its inner end by a cap Za. The inner end of theA snank ecarries a piston ll' of suitable constructionv and the openingl in theouter end of the cylinder .lf2 is suitably packed, as shown at The innerend of each cylinder is threaded to receive the cap and also to receivelock nutsI u employed to hold the cylinder firmly on the fell7 and alsoto lock the cap in place. Each cap is provided with an opening 'Le andwith a threaded boss in surrouiidinfl,` this opening. llaeh spring Mpresses at its outer end against the piston W and at its inner end itextends into a cup Q havingl a tubular stein S which extends through theopening fw and tln'ough the hollow boss fw which boss is threaded andreceives a. cap t, by means of' which the cap Z: is tightly closed.'lllhe cylinders K are connected by pipes .l and by introducing oil intoone of the cylinders the lubricant may be supplied. to all of thecylinders in the wheel. ln this vay the springs may be made to operatein oil, thus enabling them to work more easily and to prolong theirlife, and the pistons of the ivilungers are also made to work moresmoothly. also find it advantageous to oil the roller bearings which lemploy. F or this purpose the stems the plungers are formed withchannels c@ which communicate with channels et in the heads of theplungers leading to the rollers lll'. jrs the plungers move radiallyoil. is forced to the roller bearings and keeps them thoroughlylubricated. Too tree movement ot the. oil may be prevented byrestricting in any suitable way the oil conduits. ln order to lubricatethe rollers F, the bars li are, formed with oil passages n; extendingaxially .through them. The passage a2 has lateral branches fr tlnfoughwhich the lubricant can. pass to the bars, and said passage a; in eachof the rollers is connected. with a radially arranged pipe Z which inturn connects with the pipes el. ln this way oil may be delivered to therollers F, the pressure exerted by the plungers promoting the flow ofoil thereto and this flow may be restricted, if necessary, in anysuitable way.

1n order to test the spring pressure, l. provide a device of the kind.illustrated in Fig. 2%, rl`his device comprises a tube containing aspring z5', a piston Z2 and a. rod V. This rod is provided with a scale.and its outer end has a head. or knob Y.

rlie inner l .LOU

end of the tube T has a threaded opening t3 which screws on to thethreaded boss w as shown in Fig. l. lVhen the cap t is removed the tube'I may be screwed on to the boss w, the outer end of the stem S bearingagainst the piston t2. As the spring M presses radially inward, it isobvious that the rod V will be pressed radially inward to an extentcorresponding with the spring pressure. and thus the amount of pressureexerted by the spring may be determined and such pressure may beregulated, either increased or diminished, by turning in the properdirection the cap 7c and by these devices the pressure of all thesprings in thc wheel may be made uniform.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a construction in which compressed air may beemployed to press the plungers radially outward. In this case thecylinders K may be connected h y pipes J, similar to those shown in Fig.l, which enter the cylinders at j. By means of' a pump air may besupplied at 7' to one of the cylinders and pass from this cylinder toall the others.

I claim as my invention l. A wheel tire, comprising an inner rim, anouter rim composed of segmental sections, radially movable plungerspressed yieldingly outward overlapped by the outer rim and having stemsand heads formed with channels for the passage of lubricat-ing material,rollers carried by the outer ends of the plungers and bearing againstthe overw lapping portions ot' the outer rim, lubricantcontainingcylinders connected with the inner rims into which the stems of theplungers extend, and means within the cylinders Vt'or pressing theplungers outward.

2. A wheel tire comprising an inner rim having parallel radial flanges,an outer rim composed ot segmental sections having parallel inwardlyextending side flanges overlapped by the flanges of the inner rim andformed with radial slots the side walls of which are beveled inwardly,means for pressing the outer rim sections yieldingly outward, cross barsextending through the flanges ot' the inner rim, and also extendingthrough the slots of the outer rim, rollers tapered inwardly and fittingthe beveled slots of the outer rim and carried by said cross bars, andmeans for securing the cross bars to the side flanges of' the outer rim.

3. A wheel tire, comprising an inner rim having parallel outwardlyextending side flanges having openings formed near their edges, an outerrim composed of segmental sections having inwardly extending sideflanges overlapped by the flanges of the inner rim and formed withradial slots, means for pressing the outer rim sections yieldinglyoutward, wearing plates seated in the openings of the side flanges ofthe inner rim, cross bars extending through said openings and plates andthrough the slots of the outer rim flanges, rollers carried by the crossbars and operating in said slots, a cover surrounding the outer rim andoverlapping the flanges of the inner rim and devices engaging the outerends of the cross bars for securing the cover to the inner rim.

4. A wheel tire, comprising an inner rim having radial side flanges, anout-er rim composed ot' segmental sections having inwardly extendingside flanges formed with radial slots, means for pressing the outer rimsections outwards yieldingly, channeled cross bars secured to the sideflanges of the inner rim and extending through the slots in the sideflanges of the outer rim, rollers carried by the cross bars and arrangedin said slots, and with which said channels communicate, a. `lubricantreceptacle, and connections between the lubricant receptacle and thechannels of the cross bars.

5. A wheel tire, comprising an inner rim having radial side flanges, anouter rim composed of segmental sections having inwardly extending sideflanges formed with radial slots, channeled cross bars secured to thellanges of the inner rim and extending through the slots of the flangesof the outer rim, rollers carried by the cross lbars and operating insaid slots, radially movable plungers pressed yieldingly outward andsupporting the outer rim sections, lubricantcontaining cylinders securedto the inner rim in which the plungers operate, and connections betweensaid cylinders and the channeled bars by which lubricating material issupplied to said rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

NORMAN GRATZ.

W'itnesses Hmmm Knonenn, JOHN BADER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C.

